Gary McCormick
|birth_place = Upper Hutt, New Zealand |death_date = |death_place = |deathcause = |station = More FM |timeslot = Weekday mornings. |show2 = |station2 = |timeslot2 = |style = rogram host, media personality, poet and raconteur. |country = New Zealand |prevshow = |web = |}} Gary McCormick (born 1951) is a New Zealand poet, entertainer and television performer.McCormick, Gary, Oxford Companion to New Zealand Verse (edited by Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie), Oxford University Press, 1998. New Zealand Book Council, Web, Mar. 31, 2014. Life McCormick was born in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. He began writing poetry in 1968, and has published 7 collections. He also wrote Performance: A guide to the performing arts in New Zealand for the Department of Internal Affairs (1979) and the satiric secret diary of Jacques Chirac, Honey, I blew up the Atoll (with Scott Wilson, 1995). He is also a long-time collaborator and friend of Sam Hunt. Invited to front a television documentary Raglan by the Sea, his offbeat, amusing style won his premiere television outing the Documentary of the Year award. He went on to present a successful documentary series called Heartland]], which documented the lives of the locals in small towns across New Zealand. Notable stories included the lovable girl from Wainuiomata, called Chloe Reeves, who became a national sensation overnight, with her tiger slippers and interesting lifestyle. McCormick also featured in advertisements for hardware retailer Mitre 10 during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2001, he appeared on a celebrity special of the New Zealand series of The Weakest Link.The second- weakest link He has held a variety of other positions - a gardener for Porirua Hospital, a carousel operator, and MC for the Sweetwaters Music Festival. McCormick is a radio co-host with Simon Barnett]] on More FM in Christchurch, and also has a regular slot on TVNZ's Good Morning show. Recognition In 1997 McCormick was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year. Publications Poetry *''Gypsies (with John Benson). Gisborne, NZ: Piano, 1974. *''Naked and Nameless: Street poems. Porirua, NZ: Piano, 1976. *''Poems for the Red Engine''. Porirua, NZ: Piano, 1978. *''Poems by Request''. Porirua, NZ: Piano, 1979. *''Scarlet Letters''. Gisborne, NZ: Piano, 1980. *''Zephyr: Poems''. Gisborne, NZ: Piano, 1982. *''Lost at Sea''. Auckland: Hodder, Moa, Beckett, 1995. Non-fiction *''Disappearing Guns over Devonport''. Wellington: Ministry of Recreation and Sport of the Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1979. *''Heartland'' (with photos by John McDermott). Auckland: Moa, Beckett, 1994. *''Honey, I blew up the atoll: the secret diary of Jacques Chirac'' (with Scott Wilson). Auckland: Reed, 1995. *''McCormick's Guide to Staying Alive in New Zealand''. Auckland: Rodder, Moa, Beckett, 1998. *''Gary's Guide for the Millennium Man''. Auckland: Rodder, Moa, Beckett, 1999. Juvenile *''Albert Takes Off'' (illustrated by Bruce Madden). Auckland: Arcadian Press, 1998. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Gary McCormick, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 31, 2014. See also *List of New Zealand poets References Notes External links ;Poems *Poems by Gary McCormick at Poetry Soup ;Prose *"Politicians fail our heartland" ;Audio / video *Audio: Gary McCormick poem for Pike River Miners at Stuff.co.nz *Gary McCormick at YouTube ;About *McCormick, Gary at the New Zealand Book Council Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand columnists Category:New Zealand broadcasters Category:New Zealand television presenters Category:New Zealand radio personalities Category:New Zealand radio presenters Category:People from the Canterbury Region Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:New Zealand poets Category:Performance poets Category:Poets